Container Garden 411

To be sure, gardening boots are work boots above all else.

Gardening boots must be waterproof and easy to clean. Leather and suede are out; rubber and vinyl are in.

They should slip off and on easily – but not so easily that you pull your feet out of them when you walk through mud. So they can't be leg-hugging, knee-high, side zip boots.

The soles of your gardening boots should be sturdy and thick enough so you can step on the top edge of a shovel.

Is it possible for boots that work so hard to be quite fashionable? Perhaps.

Wellingtons – The Mother Of All Gardening Boots

Okay, so Wellington’s aren’t the height of fashion, but at least they come in some fashion colors now. Worn for decades by royalty on their long country walks, Wellington boots now come in red, green, navy blue, and classic black. They are fully lined and have an adjustable strap to adjust the tightness of the boot top.

When you’re outside gardening in rainy weather, you’ll find that you wouldn’t trade your Wellington boots for the most stylish boot around. Wellington gardening boots will cost you about $70.

Western Chief Waterproof Gardening Boots

Western Chief makes a variety of novelty gardening boots that, while they may not be fashionable, are definitely very cute. The boots are made of sturdy rubber. A pair of shopping-bag style handles at the top of each boot makes them easy to pull on and off.

The ladybug boots are red with black polka dots, with red eyes, antennae, and a red smile. Turtle boots are green with a turtle print. These boots are also great for rain wear with jeans or a colorful skirt. A pair will run you around $25 to $30.

Cloggies

Gardening boots are great, but sometimes you just want a simple shoe you can step in and out of, like a clog. Women’s Classic Clogs by Town and Country are just $9.99. These injection molded shoes have a cushioned insole and come in three bright colors: red, green, and navy blue.

Don’t Forget The Boot Stand

Gardening boots are meant to stay outdoors, on the back porch, or in a mud room. Get a boot stand to keep all your gardening boots and clogs organized. A good boot stand will have shoe trees so you can dry your boots out, upside down, and wire racks for drying other shoes.

Most racks have enough room for scarves, hats, and gloves. Boots dry faster when you place the stand near a heat vent or a wood stove.

For more information please visit my Gardening And Moon Phases Website.

Whether you plant just flowers, vegetables or both working outside gardening can be a relaxing experience. Although at times it can seem like back-breaking labor, but in the end when the flowers are blooming and the vegetables are ready to be eaten, gardening can offer rewards like few other activities. In the first weeks when your seeds are still under the ground, it may seem like all your work preparing the soil was for nothing, but from the time the first sprouts start poking up through the ground, all the hard work is forgotten.

However, just because the plants are beginning to show signs of life does not mean the work is over. Your efforts have probably produced some pretty good soil and the flowers or vegetables are not the only things liking the surrounding. Weeds add another dimension to your gardening efforts and many of those will grow bigger and faster when you pay less attention to them.

Depending on the size of the plots you put in the ground, gardening has a profound affect on the appearance of your yard. Flowers can provide bursts of color throughout the area and help brighten otherwise dull corners of the yard. A few raised flower beds scattered around a large yard can help visually break up the area and reduce the amount of grass cutting you have to do…leaving more time for weeding.

Eating What You Grow Is A Wonderful Experience

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh vegetables and no matter how good the produce department is in your favorite store, vegetables start to die the minute they are picked. Your gardening efforts can offer the freshest vegetables possible as you pick them clean them and eat them.

Growing you own tomatoes and peppers and turning them into spaghetti sauce can be a lot of work, but the end product is your own and nothing can beat the taste of homemade tomato sauce when it is done right. Your gardening work can produce a winter's worth of food during a typical growing season in an average size garden.

There is no doubt that gardening is a lot of work as it starts in the early spring when the soil needs prepared and loosened to allow the roots room to grow once the seeds sprout. Throughout the season you will be watering and weeding and watching everything grow to maturity and then you get to pick it and pack it or eat, right from the vine.

For more information please visit my Gardening And Moon Phases Website.

Now that there are so many different news stories about bad food such as lettuce and such being sold in restaurants and grocery stores, it is amazing that more people are not taking advantage of economic gardening in order to get at least some of their fruits and veggies. Depending on where in the country you live, of course you are going to be limited to certain types of food which you can grow but you should be able to have enough of a selection to get you started in economic gardening.

A lot of people assume that you need not only a lot land to plant a garden, but a lot of experience, and a lot of money too. But that is simply not the case at all. There are several great sources on the Internet, in the library, and in books at your local book store which can provide you with tip after tip on how to grow your own fruits and veggies. These references can also serve, as an excellent place to get some highly needed information on how to approach your venture of economic gardening. 

The Downside Of Economic Gardening

With all of the plus sides for economic gardening, it is hard to imagine that there is anything that could be on the negative side. But when thinking long and hard about it I can only really think of one and that is that you will have to work hard at your garden, no matter if it is large or small, as any garden needs love, care, and plenty of attention. There are many tasks to be done within any garden and when going with economic gardening, you are going to be very cautious about what tools you bring into your garden as not all are considered to be for very economic gardening.

Other then that, there really is not much to put on the negative side of the list. There are many more benefits to gain from economic gardening and usually you will only see the true benefits after you put your plan into action and see what is produced. After your first economic gardening adventure, you may never get your veggies another way ever again. Your friends and family will be at your door for their shopping needs instead of being down at the local market. So go ahead, research and see what exactly you can grow in your area and get started. The sooner the better and you will not be sorry about the labor involved.

For more information please visit my Gardening And Moon Phases Website.

Okay all you gardeners. If you are like me, you’ve looked at all the books, magazines and have decided that your budget is way too small for everything you want. Right! Well, let’s just take a minute and move away from the catalog, put the pen down, the credit card back in your wallet and spend some quiet time. Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing some videos worthy of your time. All I ask in return is that you drop me a line, so I know that it the videos are helpful.

Gardening Expert Rob Proctor’s Tips – ABC News 4/08